Joint for filter unit for suction cleaners



June 9, 1953 r J. E. VANCE 2,641,486

JOINT FOR FILTER UNIT FOR SUCTION CLEANERS Filed NOV. 8, 1949 INVENTOR.John E. Vance B W aim/ii. ATTORNEY.

Patented June 9, 1953 JOINT FOR FILTER UNIT FOR SUCTION CLEANERS v JohnE. Vance, North Canton, Ohio, assignor to The. Hoover Company, NorthCanton, Qhio, a

corporation of Ohio Application November 8, 1949, Serial No. 126,11!

.13. Claims- The present invention relates to suction cleaners and moreparticularly to a new and improved filter adapter therefor.

Filter adapters heretofore proposed are ob- J'ectionable for variousreasons chief among which are their mechanical complexity, high cost,difficulty to operate, tendency to rupture paper filters opposite theclamping means, and inadequate clearance between the seating tube andclamp. for convenient replacement of the filter.

The present invention overcomes all of the above mentioned shortcomingsof prior adapters and provides a very simple, inexpensive and highlyeffective. construction. The unique clamping means; forming an importantfeature oft e. invention acts to gather the filter neck tightly about,the. seating tube in an air-tight manner and to lock. it. in place posiv ly. Th clamp is .0 designed as to. open easily, and in so doin ,v tomove to a position entirely removed irony. the seating tube so as nottov interfere in any manner with, the removal or replacement of. thefilter.

accordingly, it i an. object of the. present invention to provide afilter adapter for a suction eaner o the likewhich is; characterized byuniqueness, simplicity, low cost, ease of p,e1a,-. 1 ef tiv e s, ndconvenience.

Another object is the provision of; av novel a a t r a d fi r cl mp hch. c t-hers the filter inlet about a tubular support so, as. to, form afr c i n l g ip and seal between. he fi t r nle and the suppcr nc tu e-A, fi r her b e t,- is t e r vis on, of an. adapter a d fi t r amp hi hoe n t cause the filter o rup e pp i e cl p n means.

These and other objects will become apparent irom the followingspecification and, an illus trative embodiment in which:

Figur 1 is a side of a suction cleaner with. the filter adapter shown inenlarged scale. and in vertical section; and

Figure 2 is a top plan View on line 2 --.2 of. Figure 1.

An illustrative embodiment of; the invention is shownas. comprising asuction cleaner {0; of; any well known type. This cleaner incl des: a.suction nozzle H and the usual motor-fan unit; concealed by a, hood [2.The cleaner body is supported on wheels l3 and a propelling handle l4 ispivotally connected to the cleaner body inany desired manner. Theexhaustair passageway I5, is: cast integrally with the cleaner body 1Gand opens. upwa dly and rearwardly, as indi cated in Figure 1.

The filter adapter assembly includes a bag ring Hi which can beremovably secured to exhaust conduit l5 in any preferred manner. Theinlet end of a flexible rubber bellows H is secured to the innerperiphery of ring [6 as by a split ring keeper l8. The inlet end of thebellows serves as a sealin gasket between ring it and exhaust conduit15. A tubular filter seating adapter I9 is attached to the upper end ofbellows H by a sheet metal sleeve 20' which is locked in place oninwardly extending flange 21 by beading 22.

In order that flexible bellows l1 may be. relieved of carrying theweight of tubular member l9 and the filter attached thereto, it ispreferred tosupp-ortthe adapter pivotally from bag ring I6. To this end,the lower end of tube i9 is connected to the bag ring by means of arigid, plate-like arm 23. As will be noted from the drawings, arm 23overlies bellows H and is rigidly connected to the lower end of adaptertube I9. As shown, arm 23 is cast integrally with the lower, flanged endof tube 19. The lowermost end of arm 23 is pivotally connected to theupper side of ring lfi by a hinge 24. Torsion spring 25 surrounds thehinge and is of sulficient strength to. support. the adapter, the filterand any dirt contained therein.

It will therefore. be understood that; spring 25 acts. normally to. holdthe adapter and the filter closely adjacent the underside of propellinghandlev M. If the handle is lowered; the adapter and. filter pivotdownwardly about; hinge 24. If, on the; other hand, the, handlev israised, spring 25 urges; the adapter and filter to. follow it u rward'ly.

A apter tube l9 may e circular or or any other cross-sectional shape andits discharge. end may be of; smaller diameter than its lower inlet e dt iacilitate placement of. a filter thereover, One or morelongitudinally extending areas of its: surfac are depressed. asindicated at 26., As here shown-there is only one longitudinal de prssicn 26 extending upwardly from the; base, r member is and terminatingsomewhat short oi the upper end of the adapter. In pra ti it has: beenfou dthat onesuch depression is adequote and, th s i particularly truewhen using a. lterbag having. an, inlet. neck of reduced diameter as; iscommon practice.v However,. if the adapter is designed for use-with a.filter having a lar e inlet ne k, it may be desirable. tohave a.plurality of depressions at spaced. points around the adapter. Thepurpose of the dc.- Dresslons is to receive gathered portions of thefilter neck, in such manner that the filter firmly grips adapter tubeIS. The manner in which this is accomplished will become more apparentbelow.

The clamping device for gathering neck 21 of a paper filter 28 comprisesa plate 29 pivotally connected to the upper end of arm 23 by a hinge 30.Resilient wire fingers 3| of the shape shown in Figures 1 and 2 aresecured to the underside of plate 29 as by the lateral inturned edgesthereof. One end of a leaf spring keeper 32 is secured to the base oftubular member l9, while its free end is positioned to latch over theedge of opening 33 in plate 29. When so latched, spring 32 looks thefilter clamp in the position shown in Figure 1. In this position,resilient fingers 3| ather the filter neck into depression 26 to-lockthe filter firmly on the adapter tube.

Operation ator'then takes a new paper filter bag 28 and telescopes itsinlet end 27 downwardly over adapter tube I9. The filter neck is ofsuihcient diameter 'to slide easily over the adapter tube and,preferably, its end is cut off at an angle tothe filter center-line asan aid in guiding it onto the adapter. A notch 38 interfits with alocator abutment 39 located on the lower side of the adapter tube andassures that the longer side of the filter neck will overlie depression26 in the adapter tube. After the filter is in place, the operatorsimply pivots the clamping device downwardly until it is latched byleaf' spring 32. As the clamping device'pivots downwardly,resilientfingers 3| gather the underlying'portions of the filter neckinto depression 26 so that the neck grips the tube firmly and in apositive manner. Not only is an airtight seal formed with'the tube butthe gripping action has been found so strong in practice that the filtercannot be removed without tearingit. Furthermore, the gripping actionextends throughout the area of contact between the filter neck and theadapter tube. This characteristic of my novel construction 'contrastssharply with prior constructions in'which the clamping action occursonly in the area directly opposite the'wire or other clamping'ring. Andthis is true whether the clamping ring of the prior'art is of theexpanding or contracting type. To complete the assembly theoperator'merely places the upper, free end of the filter within envelope35, pulls closure 36 downwardly and attaches the upper end of theenvelope to handle I l. The cleaner is now ready for operation.

The removal of a dirtyfilter is even simpler than that just describedfor the assembly operation. Generally, the operation is merely reversed.That is, the envelope is detached'fromthe handle, clsure'36 is'opened,and clamping device 29 1s unlatched and swung upwardly. The filter isthen withdrawn from the tube and taken to a place of disposal. A newfilter is installed in the man'- ner described above.

From the foregoing, it will be evident that the present device providesan adapter and a filter clamp therefor which is extremely simple inconstruction and in operation. Furthermore, the size of the filter neckmay vary over a considerable range in view of the large gatheringcapacity of resilient fingers 3 I. These fingers act to gather allexcess material of the filter and to draw it tightly about the" tube.Thereafter the resiliency of fingers 3| permits them to givesufficiently to permit locking of the clamping device by leaf spring 32.It will also be observed that the clamping device is completely removedfrom the vicinity of the adapter tube during both the assembly of afresh filter and the removal of a used one.' If desired, the bottom ofdepression 26 may carry a sponge rubber pad or the like.

While Ihave shown and described but a single modification 1 of myinvention, it is to be understood that this modification is to be takenas illustrative only and not in a limiting sense. I do not wish to belimited tothe particular structures shown anddescribed, but to includeall equivalent variations thereof except as limited by the scope of theclaims.

I claim:.

1. The combination with a suction cleaner of the type having a body, amotor-fan unit, a propelling handle pivoted to said body and an exhaustair passageway, of a filter adapter assembly for releasably securing apaper filter to said exhaust air passageway, said adapter including arigid cylindrical conduit, means for connecting the forward end thereofto said passageway, an elongated depression in the outer surface of saidconduit restricted toone side thereof and extending lengthwise of saidconduit, said depression being positioned to underlie the inlet end of apaper filter bag, means for gathering and clamping a filter onto saidconduit comprising movable means mounted on said conduit near theforward end thereof, said gathering means being movable against theouter surface of a filter inlet in an area opposite said depression soas to depress said filter into said depression until said filter gripssaid conduit tightly and in an air tight manner, said gathering meansalso being movable away from said depression to release the same forwithdrawal from said conduit and from said gathering means.

2. The combinationdefined'in claim 1 includ-' ing means for releasablylocking said filter gathering means in :a filter clamping position onsaid rigid cylindrical conduit.

3. The combination defined in claim 1 characterized in that saiddepression extends longitudinally of said cylindrical conduit from apoint near the end of a-filter mounted thereontoa point short of thedischarge end of said conduit. 4. A filter adapter for use on a suctioncleaner comprising a rigid tubular member having alongitudinallyextending depression restricted to one side thereof, said member beingadapted to receive the inlet end of a filter bag with a portion of-saidinlet overlying said depression; and-filter clamping means pivotallymounted on said tubular member opposite one end of said depressionincluding resilient means operable when pivoted downwardly against afilter neck to depress a portion thereof into said depression until saidneck grips the peripheralsurface of said tubular member firmly and in anairtight manner. 5. A filter adapter as defined in claim 4 in which saidclamping means is movable to a point entirely removed from saiddepression so that a' filter can be placed on said tubular memberwithout interference from said clamping means.

6. A filter adapter for use on a suction cleaner comprising a tubularmember adapted to receive a filter inlet thereover, said tubular memberbeing provided with means restricted to one side thereof for gatheringexcess portions of a filter inlet so that the filter grips the surfaceof said member firmly and in an air tight manner, said filter gatheringmeans including a movable member having means for pivotally connectingthe same to said tubular member and having a resilient filter gatheringelement for contacting the outer surface of a filter inlet and gatheringthe same circumferentially about and into air tight contact with saidtubular member.

7. A filter adapter for use on a suction cleaner as defined in claim 6including means for looking said filter gathering means in position toclamp a filter inlet in place on said adapter.

8. A filter adapter for use on a suction cleaner comprising a tubularmember the discharge end of which is formed to receive the inlet of afilter bag thereover, said member having an elongated depressionextending longitudinally along one side thereof having one endterminating short of the discharge end of said tubular member, and meanscarried by said tubular member opposite the other end of said depressionoperable to gather the filter neck circumferentially about said tubularmember until it grips said member tightly and to press the gatheredportions into said depression.

9. A filter adapter for use on a suction cleaner comprising a tubularmember, the inlet end of said member being formed for connection to thesuction nozzle of a suction cleaner and the exhaust end being adapted toreceive the inlet of a filter bag thereover, an elongated depressionextending lengthwise of said member having one end merging with theouter surface of said member near but spaced from the exhaust endthereof, means carried by said adapter adjacent one end of saiddepression to gather a filter inlet circumferentially toward saiddepression from the opposite sides thereof until said inlet clamps thetubular member firmly and in an air tight manner, and means for lockingsaid gathering means in said filter clamping position.

10. An adapter assembly for connection to a suction cleaner exhaustoutlet comprising, a mounting ring, a tubular filter mounting memberpivotally connected to said mounting ring in axially spaced relationthereto, said tubular member having an air inlet end and an airdischarge end adapted to receive a filter bag, a flex- 6 ible conduitinter-connecting said ring and the inlet end of said tubular member,said tubular member having an elongated depression extending lengthwisethereof positioned to underlie afilter bag inlet positioned theron, andfilter clamping means movably mounted on said assembly opposite one endof said depression for clamping said filter inlet to said tubular memberby gathering said inlet and pressing the same into said depression.

11. An adapter assembly as defined in claim 10 in which said filterclamping means is pivotally connected to said tubular member near theinlet end thereof so as to pivot toward and away from said depression,and latch means for locking said clamping means in its closed positionagainst said tubular member.

12. An adapter assembly as defined in claim 10 in which said clampingmeans includes resilient means positioned to contact said filter inletand press it into said elongated depression.

13. A filter adapter for use on a suction cleaner comprising a tubularmember having a dirty air inlet end adapted to be connected with acarpet contacting suction nozzle and a dirty air discharge end adaptedto telescopically receive and support the inlet end of a paper filterbag, at least one elongated depression in the outer surface of saidtubular member extending lengthwise thereof and having one end mergingwith the outer surface of said member at a point spaced from thedischarge end thereof, manually operable filter gathering means movablymounted on said member adjacent the opposite end of said depression fromthe end thereof which merges with the outer surface of said member, saidgathering means being movable against the outer surface of a filterinlet telescoped over said tubular member from the discharge end so asto depress said inlet into said depression and thereby gather said inlettightly about said member in an air tight manner, and means forreleasably locking said gathering means in place on said tubular member.

JOHN E. VANCE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date Re. 18,962 Riebel Oct. 3;; 1933 1,219,756 Jones Mar. 20, 19171,314,235 Adkins Aug. 26, 1919 2,093,991 Boyer Sept. 28, 1950

